AMPP Interview Series

Drs. Jen Locke, with The Ohio State University, and Erin Karasz, with Sandia National Laboratories, join the CORROSION journal podcast to discuss their careers in materials science and engineering. They discuss the people that influenced their careers, the benefits of diversity and inclusion to the field, and challenges they have experienced, as well as provide advice to those newer to the field.

For more information, contact Jen Locke at locke.121@osu.edu, or Erin Karasz via LinkedIn.

Ryan Amato, owner of Amato Painting and Lehigh Valley Epoxy Floors in Easton, Pa., spoke with CoatingsPro Magazine after his company’s third-place win in the 2023 CoatingsPro Contractor Awards. Those awards were formally presented at the 2023 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo in Denver, Colorado.

Discussion topics on this episode include lessons learned from that job and keys to success, along with insight on industry trends, feedback from the field, and workforce development strategies. Amato also shares his company’s innovative approach to marketing and social media, which dovetails with their emphasis on diligent and detailed communication with clients, vendors, and beyond.

As a winner in the 2023 MP Corrosion Innovation of the Year Awards, the GeneCount Voyager is a deployable, 16-well qPCR thermal cycler instrument that LuminUltra has paired with a portfolio of GeneCount qkits for sample preservation, DNA purification, and and qPCR assaying of microbial targets associated with microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Quantifying MIC-associated microorganisms in a sample can give insight into a system’s corrosion risk and the efficacy of its management programs.

In this interview, Dr. Jordan Schmidt — senior director of technology and innovation at LuminUltra — explains the evolution of their winning innovation and where it stands today. Other topics include his perspective on market trends and demands; feedback by end users and clients; and an outlook for the future.

With decades of writing and editing experience, Kerry Cole was recently hired as Editor of Materials Performance (MP) Magazine. In this interview, Cole chats with Ben DuBose, AMPP’s News Editor, about his new role. Topics include Cole’s career background in journalism and the transition to covering corrosion and coatings; how his previous experience with associations may help; first impressions on the job; hobbies and personal interests; and much more.

As of April 2023, Alan Thomas is now CEO of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), replacing Bob Chalker.

In this chat with Ben DuBose, AMPP’s News Editor, Thomas discusses his past career experience and the process leading to his appointment, along with insight on his initial priorities as CEO; key takeaways from the recent AMPP Annual Conference + Expo; background on his leadership style and personality; and much more.

Charles (Charlie) Brown, deputy director of coatings at Greenman-Pedersen, Inc., joins CoatingsPro Magazine’s “member profile” series with reflections on nearly 40 years in the industry. Topics include the evolution of coatings and market trends over that time; Brown’s advice for the next generation; and how associations such as AMPP, NACE International, and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings have bolstered his career.

Drs. Arjan Mol (co-Editor in Chief of Corrosion Science), Sanna Virtanen (Technical Editor of the corrosion section of the Journal of the Electrochemical Society), Nick Birbilis (co-Editor in Chief of npj Materials Degradation), and John Scully (Technical Editor in Chief of CORROSION journal) join our podcast to discuss the future of corrosion research.

In Part 2 of this Editor Roundtable series (listen to Part 1 here), discussion topics include areas of future research and challenges that the field will need to overcome. The conversation encompasses subjects such as sustainability and the use of artificial intelligence in research and publishing. 

Drs. Arjan Mol, Sanna Virtanen, Nick Birbilis, and John Scully, Editors in Chief and Technical Editors of four corrosion-related journals, join the CORROSION journal podcast to discuss trends in corrosion research and how that compares to the past. In part one of this roundtable series, the panelists explore changes they have seen over the past decade, along with a brief look at where the research is heading.

Drs. Narasi Sridhar, with MC Consult LLC, and Chris Taylor, with DNV, join our podcast to discuss corrosion life predictions, the topic of CORROSION journal’s March 2023 special issue dedicated to the 2022 Research Topical Symposium. This episode provides an overview of the March issue and delves into a broader discussion of the advances and challenges experienced in lifetime predictions. 

For more information about the March 2023 special issue or lifetime predictions, contact Narasi Sridhar via www.mcconsultco.com or by email at nsridhar@mcconsultco.com. Chris Taylor can be contacted via LinkedIn or at  Christopher.Taylor@dnv.com.

Brunno Batista, a worldwide brand ambassador and social media influencer, tells our CoatingsPro Magazine how the roof coatings industry has evolved over his decades in the business.

Topics include challenges and opportunities in the market; where the industry is going in the future; highlights from Batista’s career; why diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are critical; and how contractors and vendors can use social media to their advantage.